I actually though about Expo and Changi Airport after I posted
my own post; the nature of Changi Airport and Expo is quite
different from Hwa Chong Insitution, a school, famous and branded
as it may be though.
Expo is part of the government's plan to attract more long-term
conventions and exhibitions into Singapore; the Singapore Expo
complex (both building and station) is an integral part of that
plan. Being a long-term plan, I highly doubt the government had
been shortsighted as to build an exhibition hall there and then
move it out in the next 20 or 30 years (or even as long as the next
50 to 70 years). That, plus with the combination of Changi Airport
(which I will be coming on shortly), the business park, and the
industrial areas nearby, it's not likely the government slapped
Singapore Expo down there for the short-to-mid term; unless there's
some upheaval in Singapore, or the URA decides to redevelop the
entire area en masse (the latter being almost impossible
given the nature of the industrial area, and the fact that Seletar
is being developed because space is running out there).
Changi Airport is a unique case. An airport, like a metro
network, is for the long term; plus, Changi Airport station is
dedicated to serving Changi Airport, and nowhere else. Even in the
unlikely scenario that Changi Airport does moves out, the station
will almost surely move with the airport, with the original being
closed down unless they find another use for the land or buildings
where Changi Airport could used to stand to justify an MRT station,
which could result in that station being renamed - again, an almost
impossible scenario. It's unique in Singapore's MRT system, being
completely dependent on one single building complex for it's load;
every other MRT station in Singapore serve a combination of
buildings and building complexes, hence why they need names
reflecting the area rather than a single building or building
complex in the area.
Hwa Chong Insitution, on the other hand, and as famous and
branded it may be, is a school, and history has proven to us that
schools, even the most famous ones, get moved around. While the
Singapore Expo and Changi Airport have very long-term and dedicated
plans backing their current locations, no such plans exist to back
Hwa Chong Insitution's current location for the long-term. We must
also be realistic about the scale of things here: both Singapore
Expo and Changi Airport cater to a very broad public, while Hwa
Chong Insitution's catering is narrowed down to the students
studying there, as well as the people working or teaching there.
Expo and Changi Airport's names are relevant not only to the area,
but to a large number of people going to the area; the name Kah
Kee, on the other hand, will only be immediately relevant to the
students and staff of Hwa Chong Insitution. Also, Duchess station
is not a station dedicated to students of Hwa Chong Insitution, but
also to people living in the Duchess and Watten neighbourhoods.
As for the part about Tan Kah Kee being needed to be honoured,
that I have to agree. But - if he was really such a great person,
why wasn't he honoured earlier in such a manner? Why weren't there
roads, buildings, or such being named after him before this? Why
wait until now, in this question of naming an MRT station (which
should take it's name after something already established, rather
than being the "pioneer" for new names in the area)?
On your argument about ignorant Singaporeans not knowing about
the great people in Singapore's history, I can't argue with that.
Many of the younger Singaporeans are indeed ignorant on this
point.
On the point of names being used as jokes, it's not every name
that can be tweaked as such - some names are more prone to such
jokes than others, especially if they can be seen as very obvious
puns or are obvious alternative names for something else. Your
cited example, Khatib, has no puns that can be immediately obvious
to most Singaporeans - possibly, when pronounced, it sounds like
"car tip" or "car tick", but that mostly happens after people say
the name over and over again, and sounds forced; "Kah" in Kah Kee,
on the other hand, has it's pun in full plain view of anyone who
speaks Hokkien; "Kah" sounds like "leg" in Hokkien, and this is a
pun that is obvious to many Hokkien-speaking people; the leg is a
body part that sometimes have dirty, negative connotations, and
this connotations can result in extremely disrespectful jokes on
the name, something I believe will cause Tan Kah Kee to turn over
in his grave if he knows about it!
On a final note, I do hope you do not take me as trying to flame
you, but while I do agree that there's a lot of immaturity and
childishness in this thread, your arrogant attitude and you going
around calling names will not help to turn them to your opinion nor
help bring mature discussion into this matter; in any case it will
only isolate people with your opinions even further, and will only
bring about more immaturity. You called others childish, but if you
looked at your arrogant attitude in your own mirror, you will find
that you yourself is not any better than the people you are
spitting on.
With all I have said, I think I will cease participating in this
discussion. My arguments, I feel, are enough fodder against your
arguments and for anyone who supports my opinion. I do respect
differeing opinions; what I have no respect for are immature
attitudes. If you insist on using such attitudes to counter me,
then this whole debate is effectively derailing from it's subject
matter.
Plus, I have more important things I need to attend to in my
life.
Apprently you misunderstood some of my points. I agree with you
that Expo and Changi Airport are not going to be displaced from
their current any time in the near future. I would think Hwa Chong
is not going to displaced from its current location any time in the
near future as well, although you might argue that the time span is
probably shorter. Yes. :) As posted in my previous posts,
irregardless whether HC will move out or not, in the not-so-near
future, the fact remains that Tan Kah Kee bought that big piece of
land in 1910s for educational purpose, as an attempt to provide
education for the Chinese. I thought that is something that is
really commendable. I mean, its difficult to find people who are
willing to fork out their own money, to build a school, to increase
the availability education for others. On that account, even if Hwa
Chong is displaced in the future, that doesn't render this name
obselete, and unapplicable to describe that area. I get what you
mean, but I hope you get what I mean too.
I was actually hoping you get what I mean what I mentioned
Khatib. To put it explicitly, I can tweak Khatib to Kar Ceng as
well, without a putting in a deliberate effort to think of a
fanciful name. Yes, I agree, some names are more prone to jokes,
and in my opinion, I would agree Kah Kee is one of them. However,
putting "Kah Kee" as an MRT station does not make the name "Kah
Kee" more prone to jokes. People can still make fun of the name
even if there is no Kah Kee station. If you are geniunely concerned
about Mr Tan Kah Kee being unhappy about people making fun of
his name, I would think he would be even sadder by the fact that so
many people do not know about him, and people trying to deny him
of some recognition.
In all honesty, I didnt think you were attacking me, until I saw
your last few paragraphs. I was disturbed with your indirect
references in your last few paragraphs, censuring me for my
"arrogance", "name calling", thus having an "immature attitude".
I thought it would be better if you had given
me the benefit of doubt that I had zero intention to do name
calling. Had I really wanted to call names, I would have used
condescending, derogatory words like "kiddy brats", "nitwit", "no
brain", etc. I was merely saying that some of the replies
in this thread as infantile and childish (which you also agreed).
Furthermore, I wasnt targetting anyone specifically. I dont think
my words constitutes name calling, IMO. As to the issue of
arrogance, I would be most willing to apologise if
you had found my tone arrogant, for that was not what it is
intended to be. I do acknowledge your valid points, and I welcome
alternative views as well too. Perhaps I shouldnt have used
potentially caustically blunt words, because that may cause people
to misunderstand me. And at no point in my posts did I make
any attack, directly or indirectly on you, as a person, only your
viewpoints. Everyone has flaws in their character.
However, your initiation of you deriding me, as a
person with adjectives such as "immatured attitudes",
"arrogant", to name a few, reveals about your aggressive
nature...... Oops. Shouldnt had said that.
If you would like to comment about my inherent character, I
think PM-ing would be more apt, afterall, this thread isnt a
literary critique about the author's ideas, tones, etc, its about
trains.
I am not someone who has time to waste as well. Neither am I
trying to sell my ideas. I just want to speak up what I think.
P.S: Perhaps you ought to learn how to spell
institution properly, for it would be most
embarrassing if you misspell such a basic word during your O
levels! :D
